Surrey

If you still think Surrey is all golf clubs and gated drives, look again. The county’s having a quiet renaissance — part creative refuge, part foodie playground, part wild escape. There are forest-bathing trails, off-grid cabins, craft breweries in old barns, and more vineyards than you’d expect this close to London. It’s where urbanites come to breathe again — and sometimes never go back.

Every inch of Surrey has a story to tell. You’ll find echoes of Tudor hunts in royal parks, tales of smugglers in riverside pubs, and literary legends who once walked these same trails — from Jane Austen to Lewis Carroll. The past lingers gently here, not behind glass cases but in the age-old rhythm of village greens, ivy-clad inns and churches that still ring their bells every Sunday. There’s creativity here too; indie vineyards, forest yoga studios, pottery barns and small producers turning local fruit into cordials and gin.

Elegant but unpretentious, rich in nature and heritage yet full of hidden modern energy; this is Surrey, but not as you know it. You can hike through ancient woodland one morning, linger over farm-to-fork brunch in a converted barn, and end the day watching sunset over the hills with a glass of English sparkling wine. See our top Kip tips for the region, below.

Our design-led places to stay in Surrey and beyond are a testament to this exciting renaissance – high-end lodges and woodland wellness, a beautiful barn conversion in the South Downs and an utterly enchanting thatched cottage for a fairytale family holiday – all less than an hour (and quite frankly, a world away) from London.